Tuft yarn setting frame



Sept. 20, 1932. c. c. ALVORD I TUFT YARN SETTING FRAME Filed Feb. 3, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR BY 0M1. Q. M

ATTORNEYS Sept. 20,1932. c. c. ALVORD TUFT YARN SETTING FRAME 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 3, 1930 '7 INENTOR Y M Q. W

MKW

ATTORNEYS Sept. 20, 1932.

c, c. ALVORD 1,877,783

TUFT YARN SETTING FRAME Filed Feb. 3, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 72 gr 6; f 7

J I 1 u /0 BY INVENTORQ a I Fill MMtM ATTORN EYS Patented Sept. 20, 1932 lrr STATES PATENT oFFIcE CHARLES C. ALVORD, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WORCESTER DOOM WORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS TUFT Y ARN SETTING FRAME Application filed February 3, 1930. Serial No. 425,487.

1o duction into the tube frame, is known as a setting frame, one of the well known types of such machine being illustrated in the pat ent to Collins, No. 1,185,683. My invention may be considered as an improvement upon,

15 or attachment to, the common type of setting frame for rendering it far more efficient.

The setting frame has a yarn supply comprising a series of yarn carriers, preferably a creel bank, situated rearwardly of the set- 2 ting frame proper, and upon which an operative places creel spools ortheir equivalent in accordance with the requirements of the design. The operative leads the tuft yarns from the yarn carriers through their respec- Z5 tive spacings in the reed or comb on the setting frame and thence to the tuft frame spool upon which they are to be wound.

After the required number of tuft frame spools of that set-up have been wound, the

3'9 operative re-sets the creel bank as required by the pattern for the next tuft frame spool. Thus in actual practice an average of, say, thirty or forty creel spools must be removed from the creel bank to be replaced by the l same number of spools of different shades or colors for each tuft frame spool wound. Much skill is required rapidly to locate the creel spools which must be removed. Heretofore the method of accomplishing this particular step in the process was for the opera tive to refer to a painte ddesign of the fabric to be woven and then toselect the particular yarns to be removed and replaced for the next tuft frame spool. It can be readily understood when the design comprises a very large number of shades the operatives task in loc ting the changes is eXtremely diflicult and that an error at this point means a defect in a very large number of rugs. Not only r' are errors bound. to occur in properly reading the painted design, but further mistakes frequently happen by improperly locating the proper creel spools to be removed. These operative errors occur each time the design is set-up and will creep in as easily and frequently in any set-up as in the first. My device is designed to eliminate such errors of the human equation, because mistakes made in the first set-up for any tuft frame spool winding on my machine may be corrected for all subsequent sets and no subsequent mistakes are likely to occur.

The usual method employed by setting frame operatives consists in picking out the yarns to be changed at the point where they pass through the reed on the setting frame. Theyarns are then cut or broken and the operative, after following the yarns back to their respective creel spool, rotates each spool in turn by a stroking motion of the hand on the rim, thus winding back the yarn ends. As the operative completes this procedure on each spool it is removed and another creel spool of a difierent shade or color is placed on the vacant spindle of the creel. The yarn from this spool is then led through the creel bank and setting frame reed preparatory to winding the next tube frame spool. It is obvious that this method is slow even when skilled operatives are employed as it is not possible for an operative/to recall more than eight changesat a time before again referring to the design. It must be realized that not only must the location of the changes be correctly remembered by the operative after studying the color chart, but that the new shades or colors to be drawn'in at those points must also be memorized. The general purpose of this invention is to relieve the setting frame operative of practically all of this detail.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a setting frame for tuft yarns with means for selecting all yarns to be omitted from the winding of another tuft frame spool so that the same may be severed and restored to their respective yarn carriers.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for automatically severing the selected ends from the tuft frame spool there by permitting them to be restored to their respective yarn carriers.

A further obj ectof the invention is to provide means for severing the selected yarn-s in a predetermined sequence, preferably such as to minimize the winding back of closely adjacent yarns when severed, and thereby to avoid entanglement of the yarns.

A further object of the inventionis to provide means automatically operableto maintain a tension upon the yarns at the time of severance of the yarns to be omittedfrom the winding of another tuft frame spool operable upon severance of the 'yarns to restore the yarns thus severed to their respective yarn carriers. 1

A further object of the invention is to provide'mechanism for automatically selecting such yarns as are to be omitted from the winding of another tuft frame spool preferably, but not necessarily, operated by jacquard mechanism, with automatically controlled means for severing the selected yarns in a predetermined sequence as above described.

Another object of the invention is to provide a jacquard strip, preferably of flexible material, having perforations operable to control the actuation of mechanism for selecting from the yarns wound upon one tuft frame spool such yarns as are tobe omitted from and replaced'by other yarns upon" another tuft frame spool, whereby the winding ofeach tuft frame spool may be accurately repeated.

A further object of the invention contemplates the reductio-n'in the number of changes of yarn carriers by an improved method of scheduling. V a V Another object of the invention is to provide a machine which can be efficiently operated by relatively unskilled operatives. These and otherobjects and features of the inventionwill more fully appear from the following description: and the accompanying drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims. r

r A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show the various cooperating mecha nisms for accomplishing the purposes above set forth, certain parts of the mechanisms, which would overlie and obscure other mechanisms, being omitted from the several illustrations.

Inthe drawings: 5 g

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of somuch of a setting frame as is necesary to illustrate the present invention i Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the yarn supply or creel bank showing a preferred form of winding-back mechanism; 5 i

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the main portions of the jacquard and yarn-severingmechanisms; I F1g. 4 1s a detai 1 side elevation of the jacquard mechanism; if i f Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the perforated jacquard strip;

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the yarn deflectors, the lifter bars, and the comb shaft and comb for actuating said deflectors;

Fig. 7 is a detail plan view of'a cutter bar support and reciprocating cutters for severing the selected yarns to be omitted from the winding of another yarn carrier;

Fig. 8is an endelevation of the cutter bar support and cutter illustrated in'Fig. 7;

M Fig. .9 is a detail fragmentary view of preferred yarn carriers and; shields for the :same topreventtangling of the yarns;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a preferred form of yarndeflector and,

Fig; 11is a detail view, partly in section and partly in front elevation, of the yarn calrier mechanism shown in Fig. 9, and the rotatable support therefor. The yarn supply may comprise any suitable type of yarn carrier from which the yarn may be drawn'from and wound upon the tuft frame spool and any suitable mechanism may be provided for maintaining a tension upon the yarn at the time the yarns to be omitted from the subsequent tuft frame spool are severed and operable to re-wind, or otherwise restore,the yarn thus severed to their respective yarn carriers. In the drawings the yarn carriers shown are in the form of creel spools and the present invention will be described with respect to the means for actuating said creel spools, but itwill be understood that such specific description is not restrictive of the breadth of the invention defined by the claims.

Referring first to the creel bank it will be seen in Figs. 1 and '2 that it comprises a frame having side members 1 fastened together by girts 2 and bars 3 having mounted thereon spool spindle bearings 4. The spool spindles 5, which turn freely in their bearings 4, are each provided with a creel spool support 6 fast thereto on which rests a creel spool 7. Located directly underneath the spool spindles 5 is a grid 8 consisting of a number of transverse bars 9 corresponding to the transverse rows of spool spindles. Each bar is pierced with a row of holes through which the offset ends 10 of the spool spindles pass. The grid 8 is provided with supporting casters 11 near its four corners which bear on suitable finished surfaces on the girts 2. A circular motion is imparted to the grid 8 by cranks 12 journalled in the longitudinal grid bar 13. These-crank shafts have keyed on them worm gears 14; which are driven positively by worms 15 fast on a drive shaft 16. e

The drive shaft 16 is provided with a pulley 17 driven by a suitable prime mover, (not shown).

Any suitable mechanism may be provided for stopping and'starting said prime mover, orsuitablebelt-shifting mechanism may be provided to permit actuation or stoppage of the drive shaft 16.

By the rotation of the drive shaft 16 each spindle crank is rotated about an axis corresponding to the center of the spindle upon which the spool is located. This rotary motion will be transmitted from the rotating creel spool supports 6 to the creel spools 7 by the frictional drag exerted on the spool head by the spool support 6 which is pinned to the spool spindle. The direction of rotation of the spool spindlesis such that any yarn end freed from the tuft frame spool on the setting frame will be wound back on to its own creel spool. When, however, the tuft frame spool is being wound, the winding back mech anism is at rest, the creel spools rotatively slipping on the spool supports as the yarns are pulled off them and wound. upon the tuft frame spool. When a desired number of like tuft frame spools, having the color or character of yarn for a predetermined portion of the pattern of the carpet or rug, have been wound another spool or series of spools having yarns corresponding to a different portion of the pattern are wound. In most instances a large number of the same yarns as those wound upon the full spool are required in the subsequent spool and it is desirable, therefore, to remove only such yarns as are to be re placed in thenext spool byother yarns, while maintaining the sheet of yarns leading to the full wound spool otherwise intact until the removed yarns have been replaced.

In the present invention automatic means are provided for selecting, and preferably also for severing in predetermined sequence, the yarns of the full spool which are to be omitted and replaced upon the next spool. This selecting mechanism is illustrated particularly inFigs. 1, 3, and 4. Referring to Fig. 1, it will be understood that the tension rollers 18 area portion of the setting frame proper, being similar to those designated B on the Collins patent above referred to. In actual practice on a twenty-seven inch setting frame there would be one hundred eightynine yarns passing through these presser rollers leading from the same number of creel spools, but in these drawings the number of spools has been decreased to one hundred and ei 'ht for the sake of clarity. It is becoming common practice to employ setting frames as wide as fifty-four inches which necessitates a creel bank of sufficient size to hold thre hundred seventy-eight spools or more de-.

19, which are the same in number as the yarns leading from the creel spools, are spaced regularly across the setting frame by comb-s 20 and 21, being of the same pitch as the regular setting frame reed, (not shown).

Each deflector has riveted to one side a saddle piece 22, best shown in Fig. 10. The deflector is prevented from dropping below its normal position shown in Fig. 1 by the abutment of the saddle piece upon the lower the two levers is a grifl' 31 which is provided Lifter with a'comb 32 along its front edge. bars 33, spaced and guided by this comb, pass through the saddle pieces 22 on the deflectors 1.9, there being one lifter bar for each deflector.

Located intermediate of the griff and the deflectors is a jacquard cylinder 3 provided with three circumferential rows of pegs 85 for feeding the acquard strip 36. Due to the width of the strip- I prefer to locate the strip by the center row of pegs and for that purpose the peg holes 3? in the strip 36, as shown in Fig. 5, are only a few thousandths larger in diameter than the pegs 35, while the outer peg holes 38 are oval in shape, thus permitting a slight go and come of the strip under varying atmospheric conditions. 3x r- J. wince peg holes 3( are located approximately in the center of the strip any slight contraction and expansion will occur equally each side of the center, thus halving the possibility of improper register of the punched holes 39 with the staggered row of jacquard needles 4E0.

The jacquard needles 4O slide freely in a needle bar 4.1 and are thus accurately aligned with the punched holes in the jacquard strip. As in common practice the jacquard cylinder is perforated to permit the entrance of a needle wherever a punched hole occurs. The needle bar l1 is securely fastened to two cam levers e2 fulcrumed upon a round girt member 18. Whenever the jacquard cylinder is to be indexed it is necessary to raise the needles prior to the start of that movement and for this purpose I provide two cams 14; keyed to the acquard cam shaft 30. Thenever this shaft is turned the cam lobes l5, acting upon the cam levers 42, will lift the needle bar 4:1 and with it all of the needles slidably mounted therein. I prefer to rotate the jacquard cam shaft 30 by a handle 98, though I wish it understood that by suitable means it may be accomplished by power without departing from the spirit of my invention.

VVith the needle bar 41 in a raised position and the needles clear of the jacquard strip,

the jacquard cylinder may be indexed by any nized with cams 44 on said shaft, that the ratchet cam lever 46 will index the cylinder one tooth whenever the needles have been lifted above the jacquard strip.

The continued rotation of the jacquard cam shaft 30, after the cylinder has been indexed, allows the needle bar 41 to drop. Since the lifter bars 33 are accurately aligned with the needles by the comb 50, which may be an integral part of the needle bar 41, it is clear that wherever it punched hole occurs in the jacquard strip its corresponding lifter bar will drop as the needle bar drops, leaving the lifter bar in position to be engaged by the griif and that the other lifter bars will be held up clear of the griif. Continued rotation of the jacquard cam shaft 30 with the cams 29 thereon now causes the griff 31 to make its operative stroke, to the right, carrying with it all the lifter bars which are down or, in other words, all the lifter bars which were over punched holes inthe jacquard strip. The operative stroke causes these lifter bars to protrude through the saddle pieces 22 of the deflectors 19, as shown in Fig. 6, where they are in position to be acted upon by any suitable lifting device.

The lifting device desirably is so constructed and actuated as to engage and raise the lifter bars which protrude through the saddle pieces of the selected deflectors in a predetermined sequence so that the raising of the selected deflectors will displace the respective yarns engaged thereby from normal position and permit said yarns to be readily severed. v

Preferably the selected deflectors present the yarns which they engage to a suitable cut ting mechanism which is operable to sever the yarnsin said predetermined sequence, and means desirably are also provided for automatically winding back the severed yarns upon their respective creel spools, thereby permitting the ready removal of the creel spools bearing the yarns for which others must be substituted for the next pattern.

, In order to retract the lifter bars upon the return stroke of thegrifi, I'provide each'bar with a pin 99 located just rearwardly of the comb 21. These pins are of sufiicient height so that they will not pass through the comb, but not high enough to interfere with the ad j acent lifter bars. The return stroke of the griff thus retracts all the previously protruded bars preliminary to the succeeding jacquard indication.

The wind-back operation is complicated by a number of factors. Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the amount'of yarn on the creel spools varies greatly, some being nearly full, others being half full, while others are almost exhausted. This condition is always present, as, due'to the requirements of the design, certain spools are used for longer periods oftime on the creel bank than others. As previously described, the winding back mechanism drives all the spool supports 6 at the same angular velocity. Since the circumference of a full spool is about three times that of a nearly exhausted spool, one revolution of a full spool will wind back its free end of yarn three times as fast as a yarn leading from a nearly exhausted one.

It has been found experimentally that if it is attempted to wind back simultaneously, say, eight spools of varying diameters which are in the same longitudinal row, the fast moving yarns leading from the large spools will pick up the ends of the relatively slower moving yarns from the smaller or more nearly empty spools and carry them along at the speed of the fast moving yarns. This causes a looping back of the slow moving yarns resulting in tangling or, in many cases, the ends of the slow moving yarns being wound up on the large diameter spools. In any event the yarns become so tangled up that the winding operation cannot be successfully completed without considerable attention by the operative. l I

While it is possible to run the yarns in individual'channels, I do not prefer this solution on account of the great amount of space required, resulting in an unwieldy creel bank. Another objection to this solution is the waste of time spent in leadingyarns from replacement spools down through their respective channels. Any gain in the speed of winding back would be more than offset by the additional time spent by the operative in drawing in. At times it is necessary to wind backthe yarns of many and some times of every spool on the bank, so I have perfected a method which permits this within a minimum time and without tangling.

To make my method clear, let this extreme case be considered in which every spool on the creel bank is to be removed in preparation for the succeeding set-up. This requires that every hole across the jacquard strip be punched, there being one row of holes for one set-up of the creel bank. The action of the jacquard mechanism, as previously described, causes every lifter bar to protrude through the saddle piece of its deflector. The winding back mechanism is now started by the application of power to the pulley 17 on the drive shaft 16. The spool supports 6 are now rotating, but the creelspools are not permitted to rotate with them since none of the yarns leading therefrom have been severed from the tuft frame spool which has just been wound on the setting frame. The rotation of the creel spool supports, however, maintains a tension upon the yarns so that when a selected yarn is severedits creel spool will be immediately turned by the frictional drag between the spool head and the support 6 and the yarn will be wound back upon the spool.

Inasmuch as the winding back of a plurality of simultaneously severed yarns will be likely to cause the tangling of the severed ends of the yarns, by reason of the difference in the speed at which the respective yarns are wound back, the present invention is designed to avoid such tangling by providing means for severing the yarns in such prede termined sequence as will minimize the winding back of closely adjacent yarns when severed, and will also cause sufficient winding back of a severed yarn to avoid engagement thereby with a subsequently severed arn. i y In order to permit the winding back operation to be completed in a minimum time, I first sever the yarns leading from the rear transverse row of spools. After allowing sufficient time for a yarn leading from a nearly exhausted spool in the rear row to be wound back to a point just back of the front row of spools, I sever the yarns leading from the front transverse row of spools. Thus, while the spools of the rear row are completing their winding back, the spools of the front row start and complete theirs. Thus, two yarns in each longitudinal row are winding back simultaneously without any possibility of tangling; When the slowest moving yarns on the front row of spools have had time to be fully wound back, I sever the yarns on the next to the back row of spools and follow these with the next to the front row and so on until all the creel spools have been wound up, all without tangling and in a minimum of time.

I will now describe the mechanism I employ for this purpose. Situated directly in front of the deflectors 19 is comb shaft 51, (Figs. 1 and 6) into which is staked a lifter comb 52 having spaced apart teeth 58 as shown in Fig. 6. The distance between these teeth is such that if thefirst tooth is opposite the first or left hand deflector the second tooth will be opposite the thirteenth deflector, the third tooth opposite thetwenty-fifth, etc. The'first, thirteenth and twenty-fifth deflectors support the yarns leading from similarly numbered spools which, preferably are the rear spools in the first, second and third longitudinal rows respectively.

The comb shaft 51 is slidably and rotatably journalled in the jacquard side frames 27, the left hand end of the shaft projecting outwardly through the frame and being provided with pinned collars 54.- at its extreme end. Comb shaft shifter bell crank lever 55 terminates at its upper end in a yoke equipped with pins 56 which project inwardly toward the comb shaft bet-ween the two pinned collars54, the distance between the collars being but a few thousandths wider than the diameter of the pins 56. The bell crank lever 55 is connected to a cam lever 57 by means of a connector 58. The cam lever is actuated by a suitable cam 93, which will hereinafter be described, to impart a longitudinal reciprocating movement to the comb shaft 51 in such a manner as to permit the teeth 53 of the comb 52 toraise the deflectors in the predetermined sequence. Located inside the right hand jacquard frame is a lever 59 secured to the comb shaft 51. This lever is connected to a bell crank lever 60 fulcrumed on the right hand side frame near the floor by a connector 61. The bell crank lever 60 is actuated by suitable cam mechanism hereinafter to be described to rotate or oscillate the comb shaft 51 and its comb in such timed relation to the longitudinal movement of the comb shaft 51 as to raise the deflectors 19 in the predetermined sequence and position the yarns in a predetermined sequence to permit the yarns thus selected to be severed. The selected yarns may be severed manually, but preferably are automatically severed in a predetermined sequence.

In order to sever the selected yarns in said predetermined sequence,.I provide a cutting mechanism, a preferred form of which is shown in Figs. 7 and 8. It consists of two cutter guiding members 62 and 63 provided along their lower edges with saw teeth 64 which register exactly with the respective yarns passing through the notched upper ends of the raised deflectors 19. These two members 62 and 63 are fastened together by cap screws 65 being spaced apart about .020 by a shim 66. The member 62 is grooved to receive cutter bar 67 which slides freely therein. Mounted on this cutter bar are a series of cutters 68 about .018 thick and of a shape shown clearly in Fig. 7. These cutters are properly located longitudinally on the cutter bar and secured thereto by any good means, but for the purpose of quick replacement I prefer to employ pairs of pins 69 securely fastened in the cutter bar 67. The member 63 is relieved at 70 to provide clearance for the pins. By reason of this construction the members 62 and 63 may be readily separated by withdrawal of the cap screws 65, thus permitting the cutters to be removed for sharpening and replacement.

In order not to interfere with the work of the operative when drawing in yarns" it is essential that the cutting mechanism be quickly removable and to effect this purpose the end of the members 62 and63 are removably seated in pockets in brackets 71 bolted to the jacquard side frames. Locating pins 72 drop into a corresponding slot in the brackets to locate the toothed members accurately transversely across the machine so that the saw teeth may register with the yarns as they are successively raised upwardly by the lifting of the deflectors. i

Fig. 7 shows the first, thirteenth and twenty-fifth yarns as thus raised and ready to be severed.

In order to synchronize the positioning of the cutter with the longitudinal positioning movement of the comb shaft 51, a cutteractuating bell crank lever is pivotally mount ed upon the bell crank lever which imparts longitudinal movement to the comb shaft. In the preferred construction illustrated, the rear pin 56 on the bell crank lever 'serves as a fulcrum for a second bell crank lever 7 3 provided with a forked end 74 which strad.

the floor. The purpose of this compoundle-' ver arrangement provided by fulcrumi'ng lever 73 upon lever 55 lies in the necessity of synchronizing the movements of the cutter bar with the lifting sequence of the deflectors 19. At any given time th cutters must be so positioned that the yarns about to be raised at that instant will be free to enter their proper stations along the saw tooth cutter members prior to the operative stroke of the cutters. By this type of construction I eliminate the use'of an extra shift cam and preclude the possibility of the cutter mechanism being out of step with the comb shaft during its end-wise movements. As the comb shaft shifts back and forth transversely across the machine by the rocking of the bell crank 55, it will be seen that this identical motionis imparted to the fulcrum of the cutter bell crank 73. As the connector 77 is held motionless whenever these shifts occur, the forked end 75 of the bell crank moves back and forth in unison with the comb shaft.

It is, of course, understood that the shifts of the comb shaft occur after the shaft has allowed a deflector to drop following the severance of its yarn strand and before the comb shaft 51 rocks to pick up the next deflector or carriers. V

I will now describe the actuating mechanism for the cutters and the deflector-lifting shaft. The main drive shaft 16 has keyed at its front end worm '7 8 meshing with a worm gear 79 keyed to a worm gear shaft 80 journalled in the jacquard side frames 27. A cam lever 81, fulc'rumed'on a creel girt 2, which is actuated by a cam 82 on the shaft 80 j ournalled in'brackets on the jacquard side frames 27, is attached by a connector 83 to the bell crank which servesto rock the comb shaft 51. A second cam lever St, similarly fulcrumed on the creel girt 2 near its oppo-,

site end, is actuated by a cam 85 on the shaft 80 and is similarly attached by a connector 86 to the bell crank 7 6 which serves to operate the cutter bar 67. The cams 82 and 85 are shaped so as to provide one oscillation of the comb shaft51 and one forward and return stroke of the cutter bar 67 during one revolution of the cam shaft 80. The ratio of the worm 78 and worm gear 79 is such that the intervals between successive cycles is just sufficient to allow the yarns to wind back without tangling as previously described. At the extreme right hand end of the cam shaft 80 there is a keyed crank 87 which operatively oscillates, through a connector 88, a pawl lever 89- freely fulcrumed on a ratchet cam shaft 90 journalled in the jacquard side frames.

The pawl lever is provided with a pawl 91 which engages a ratchet 92 keyed to a shaft 90. The ratio between the speeds of the worm gear shaft 80 and ratchet cam shaft 90 is thus determined by the number of teeth in ratchet 92 and, since in this case the ratchet has twelve teeth, the ratchet cam shaft will make one complete revolution of twelve intermittent steps, while the cam shaft 80 is making twelve revolutions at constant speed. There is a cam 93 keyed to shaft 90 to actuate bellxcrank 57, which shifts the comb shaft back and forth transversely across the ma chine sothat the teeth on comb shaft 51 will be oppositethe yarn carriers in the following sequence: one, twelve; two, eleven; three, ten; four, nine; five, eight; six, and seven. As previously pointed out this sequence allows the twelve yarns to be cut and wound back in minimum time without possibility of snarling. I

In order that there be no chance of yarns which are winding back being caught by revolving spools on the creel bank, I prefer to employ some good methodof shielding such as that shown in Figs. 9 and 11. Each creel spool 7 is nearly surrounded by an individual metal guard 94 attached to cross bars 3. These guards extend about two-thirds of the way up each spool, thus permitting quick inspection as to the yarn content on each spool; The yarn is led out through the open- 7 ing in the guard, around a vertical guide 95,

thence over horizontal bars 96 which are set somewhat above the lower head of the creel spool, then through the notch in its deflector 19, and from that it passes to the setting frame tension rollers 18, which are separated during the winding-back process.

After a yarn has been wound back there may be a short period before the operative removes the'spoolfrom the creel bank and to eliminate any liability of the loose end,

which may be hanging down below the lower head of the spool, wrapping up around the hearing, I prefer to extend spool support 6 down as at 97 in Fig. 11 so as to keep the freeend of the yarn away from the stationary bearing. a

I will now describe the steps employed in operating my mechanism. At the start, it will be assumed that a tuft frame spool has just been wound, and that it is desired to wind another tuft frame spool having certain different colors of yarns corresponding to another portion of the pattern of the carpet or rug. It is, therefore, desirable to re move from the sheet of yarns extending from the-creel to the full tuft frame spool such yarns as are to be omitted in the winding of the next spool. V

The operative now manually rotates the jacquard camshaft 30 one revolution. During the first portion of this revolution, the griff 31 is retracted and the needle bar raised, thus'removing the needles from the jacquard strip 36. Continued rotation of the Shift 80 then indexes the jacquard cylinder 34, thereby bringinga line of perforations, correspondin g to'tlie yarns which are to be omitted from thenextspool in registrywith the needles which select the deflectors which are to displace the yarns to be'removed from their normal position. Further rotative movement lowers the needle bars and advances the grid, thereby advancing the lifter bars 32, which are controlled by the needles entering the perforations, through the saddle pieces 22 of the respective selected deflectors into the path of the teeth 53 of the comb 52 on the comb shaft 51. The operative then glances at the number on the jacquard strip in line with the needles and marks it down upon a small label pasted 011 the neXt tuft frame spool which is to be wound, or upon such other number of tuft frame spools as may be desired to be wound to correspond to this portion of the rug pattern. This is the number of the row in the pattern and it will be noted that the numbers for successive tuft'frame spools may or may not read in numerical sequence along the edge of the acquard strip, the reason for this being that the jacquard strip puncher selects the sequence in which the spools are to be wound so as to reduce the number of yarn changes to the lowest possible minimum.

That is to say, the present invention comprises a method of operating a acquard controlled setting frame which comprises scheduling the order of successive tuft frame spool setups so as to minimize the yarn changes in the winding of successive tuft frame spools irrespective of the order in which the tuft frame spools are employed in weaving consecutivesections of a pattern fabric.

It is preferable to employ a highly skilled card puncher since one good operative will be able to punch the strips for a considerable number of my setting frames. However, a marked reduction in wages is obtained due to the fact that the setting frame operatives need not be so highly skilled as heretofor Moreover the cost per tuft frame spool wound is lower as many more spools may be wound per day by an operative while the accuracy of the work will be higher.

While the operative is marking the number of the row on the label she starts the shaft 16 in motion by throwing a shipper or pressing a motor starter. The spool holders 6 immediately commence to revolve, but all spools remain stationary since no yarns have been severed from the tuft frame spool w ich is in the tube frame. This rotation'of the creel spool holders tends to wind b ack the yarns upon their respective creel spools thereby imposing a tension upon all of the yarns running from the creel spools to the tuft frame spool and upon severance of any yarn the creel spool of such yarn will be immediately rotated by reason of the frictional engagement of the creel spool with its rotat ing support, and thereby wind back the severed yarn from the creel spool.

The comb shaft 51 now rocks and any deflector which is opposite a comb tooth 53 will be lifted provided the jacquard mechanism has advanced its lifter bar into the path of the comb 53. 4

By reason of the reciprocating longitudinal movements of the combshaft, the do fiectors are raised in a predetermined sequence to present the yarns carried thereby into the notchesof the guiding members of the cutter mechanism and by reason of the synchronized movement of the cutter bar guides, the cutters will be positioned in proximity to the yarns to be out and actuation of the cutter bar by its operating mechanism will sever the selected yarns in said predetermined sequence. The first deflectors to be raised may or may not be those for the rear row of creel spools as this will depend upon the point of the cycle at which the mechanism is started. But in any event the yarns will be wound back in the sequence previously specified without tangling. The operative will then remove the creel spools of the yarns which are to be omitted from the next tuft frame spool as promptly possible. 7

When all the selected yarns to be omitted from the next tuft frame spool have been wound back upon their creels the operative stops the mechanism. The spools are then transferred by the operative to their proper bins and replaced by new spools having the yarns required for the winding of the next tuft frame spool.

It is my intention to provide the operative with a list of the new spools to be placed on the creel bank rather than rely onher ability to read the design. The'schedule of new spools would list the spools in the order in which they will go upon the creel bani: so that all the operative has to do for the winding of a tuft frame spool is to take from their bins theproper spools as indicated by the schedule corresponding to the number on the jacquard strip opposite to the line of perforations thereon, place the creel spools upon the tray in theorder indicated by the sched ule and drop them on to the empty'spindles on the creel bankin sequence. The production of my machine is much greater than that secured heretofore as the operative can select the new spools while the automatic cutting and winding back operation is in progress.

r When the new spools have'been placed on their spindles the respective yarns are drawn through the reed of the setting frame and placed in proper order in the sheet of yarns extending to the tuft frame spool which has been wound. When the new ends have thus been placed upon the full spool, an empty spool may be substituted and the sheet of yarns, including the new ends,clamped upon the new spool in the usual manner. lWhen the ends have thus been secured all of the yarns may be out between the new and old spools and the new tuft frame spools then wound in the usual manner. 1

By reason of the presentinvention errors are eliminated and highly skilled operatives notrequired. If an error is made in the cutting of aholein the jacquard strip, it is always rectified as soon as, found, so that it will not occur again in the next set, andthus after the first set is run off the succeeding sets are practically perfect. This is a very valuable feature as it tends to eliminate the weaving of seconds. from inaccurately set tuft yarn spools.

,The present invention also permits the weaving of pattern fabric withan unlimited number of colors of yarn as distinguished from usual jacquard mechanism in which the number of colors is strictly limited, usually to sixteen colors in any one location. By the present invention selected colors of yarns may be madefor the various spools and the spools introduced in such sequence in the weaving mechanism that any number of colors may be presented to the weaving mechanism to produce-the desired colored pattern. The unique use'ofthe jacquard in the present invention theoretically will permit the use of diiferentcolors in each tuft of the woven fabric. It is also obvious that yarn strands of the same coloribut having different characteristics, such as variations in size, twist or nature of the yarn, can be selectively indi cated by the acquard mechanism for subsequent removal. It may therefore be said that, since the indicia on the jacquard reg ister bear no relation whatsoever to the color respective carriers.

or other characteristics of the yarn strands, there can be no restriction whatever on the use of an unlimited range of yarns of varying characteristics.

, It is to be understood that the particular embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is of an illustrative character and is not restrictive, and that various changes in form, construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is: I p 1 A setting frame for tuft yarns comprising means for selecting from yarns drawn from yarn carriers and wound upon, a tuft frame spool such yarns as are to be, omitted from the winding of another tuft frame spool to permit the selected yarns to be severed, and means operable to restore the severed yarns to their respective yarn carriers. 2. setting frame for tuft yarns comprising means for selecting from yarns drawn from yarn carriers and wound upon a tuft frame spool such yarns as are to be omitted from -the winding of another tuft frame spool, means automatically operable to sever the selected yarns and thereby to permit the selected yarns to be restored to their respective yarn carriers.

3. A setting frame for tuftyarns compris-V ing means'for selecting from yarns drawn from yarn carriers and wound upon a tuft frame spool such'yarnsas are to be omitted from the winding of anothentuft frame spool, means automatically operable respectively to sever the selected yarns andto restore the severedyarns to. their respective yarn carr ers. 7 V 7 I LA setting framefor tuft yarns comprising means for selecting from yarns drawn from rotatable yarn carriers and wound upon a tuft frame spool such yarns as are to be omitted from the winding of another tuft frame spool to permit the selected yarns to e severed, means tending to rotate the yarn carriers operable upon severance of the selected yarns to wind back the same upon their 5. A setting frame for tuft yarns comprising means for selecting from yarns drawn fromrotatable yarn carriers and wound upon atuft frame spool such yarns'as are to be omitted froin'the' winding of another tuft frame spool to permit the selected yarns to be severed, means automatically operable to QGV'GI' the selected yarns, and ineans tending to rotate the yarn carriers operable upon severance of the selected yarns to wind back the same upon their respective carriers.

6. A setting frame for tuft yarns comprisfrom the Winding of another tuft frame spool, meansautomatically operable to sever the selected yarns in a predetermined sequence, and means operable upon such severance to restorethe severed yarns to their respective yarn carriers.

7. A setting frame for tuft yarns comprising means for simultaneously selecting from yarns drawn from rotatable yarn carriers and Wound upon a tuft frame spool such yarns as are to be omitted from the Winding of another tuft frame spool, yarn-severing mechanism and means automatically operable to present the selected yarns to said severing mechanism in a predetermined sequence, and means tending to rotate the yarn carriers during the operation of the severing mechanism and acting upon severance of the respective yarns to Wind back the same upon their respective carriers.

8. A setting frame for tuft yarns comprising movable yarn deflectors for the respective yarns drawn from yarn carriers and Wound upon a tuft frame spool, means automatically operable to select the deflectors for the yarns to be omitted from the Winding of another spool, means for actuating said deflectors in a predetermined sequence to displace the selected yarns from their normal positions in a predetermined sequence to permit the yarns so deflected to be progressively severed and restored to their respective yarn carriers.

9. A setting frame for tuft yarns comprising movable yarn deflectors for the respective yarns drawn from yarn carriers and Wound upon a tuft frame spool, means automatically operable to select the deflectors for the yarns to be omitted from the winding of another spool, means for actuating said deflectors in a predetermined sequence to dis place the selected yarns from their normal positions in a predetermined sequence, means automatically operable to sever the selected yarns in said predetermined sequence, and automatically operable means for restoring the severed yarns to their respective yarn carriers.

10. A setting frame for tuft yarns comprising movable deflectors for the respective yarns drawn from yarn carriers and Wound upon a tuft frame spool, jacquard mechanism operable to select the deflectors for the yarns to be omitted from the Winding of another spool and to cause said deflectors to displace the selected yarns from their normal positions to permit the selected yarns to be severed, and means for restoring the severed yarns to their respective yarn carriers.

11. A setting frame for tuft yarns comprising reciprocable deflectors for the respective yarns drawn from yarn carriers and Wound upon a tuft frame spool, jacquard mechanism operable to select the deflectors 'ing of another tuft for the yarns to be omitted from the Winding of another spool and to cause said deflectors to displace the selected yarns from their nor mal positions in a predetermined sequence, means for severing the yarns thus displaced in the same sequence, and means maintaining a tension upon the yarns operable upon severance of the selected yarns to restore the same to their respective yarn carriers.

12. A setting frame for tuft yarns drawn from rotatable yarn carriers and Wound upon a tuft frame spool, comprising reciprocable dcflectorsfor the respective yarns, jacquard mechanism comprising a perforated flexible strip and mechanism controlled thereby to engage and actuate the deflectors for the respective yarns to be omitted from the Wind ing of another tuft frame spool and to dis place the selected yarns from normal position to permit the yarns to be readily sevcred, and means tending to rotate said yarn carriers operable to ind back the severed yarns upon their respective carriers.

13. A setting frame for tuft yarns drawn from rotatable yarn carriers and Wound upon a tuft frame spool, comprising reciprocable deflectors for the respective yarns, jacquard mechanism comprising a perforated flexible strip and mechanism controlled thereby to engage and actuate the deflectors for the respective yarns to be omitted from the Winding of another tuft frame spool and to displace the selected yarns from normal position in a predetermined sequence, means automatically operable to sever the yarns thus displaced in said predetermined sequence, and means automatically operable to Wind back the severed yarns upon their respective yarn carriers.

1d. A setting frame for tuft yarns drawn from rotatable yarn carriers and Woundupon a tuft frame spool, comprising reciprocable deflectors for the respective yarns, jacquard mechanism comprising a perforated flexible strip and mechanism controlled thereby to engage and actuate the deflectors for the respective yarns to be omitted from the Windframe spool and to dis place the selected yarns from normal position in such predetermined sequence as will minimize the Winding back of closely adjacent yarns when severed, means for severing the yarns in said predetermined sequence, and means tending to rotate said yarn carriers and acting upon severance of the respective yarns to Wind back the same upon the respective yarn carriers.

15. A setting frame for tuft yarns comprising reciprocable yarn deflectors for the respective yarns supplied from yarn carriers and Wound upon a tuft frame spool, means to select the deflectors for the yarns to be omitted from the Winding of another spool, a rotatably and reciprocally mounted lifter having means located at predetermined intervals respectively to engage a deflector and means operable to reciprocate and to rotate said lifter to actuate said deflectors in a predetermined sequence to displace the yarns engaged thereby from their normal position to permit the selected yarns to be severed, and means for restoring the severed yarns to the respective yarn carriers. 7 i

16. A setting frame fortuft yarnscomprising reciprocable yarn deflectors for the respective yarns supplied from yarn carriers and ound upon a tuft frame spool, means to select the deflectors for the yarns'to be omitted from the Winding of another spool, a rotatably and reciprocably mounted lifter having means located at predetermined intervals respectively to engage a deflector and means operable to reciprocate and to rotate said lifter to actuate said deflectors in a predetermined sequence to displace the yarns engaged thereby from their normal position,

means for severing the yarns, and means for moving said severing means in synchronism Withthe reciprocating movement of said lifter operable to sever the respective yarns in said sequence.

17. A setting frame for tuft yarns comprising reciprocable yarn deflectors for the respective yarns supplied from yarn carriers and Wound upon a tuft frame spool, means to select the deflectors for the yarns to be omitted from the Winding of another spool, a rotatably and reciprocably mounted lifter having means located at predetermined intervals respectively to engage a deflector and means operable to reciprocate and to rotate said lifter to actuate said deflectors in a predetermined sequence to displace the yarns engaged thereby from their normal position, means for severing the yarns, means for moving-said severing means in synchronism With the reciprocating movement of said lifter operable to severthe respective yarns in said sequence, and means for maintaining a tension upon the yarns operable to restore the severed yarns to the respective yarn carriers. 18. A setting frame for tuft yarns comprising reciprocable yarn deflectors for the re spective yarns supplied from yarn carriers and Wound upon a tuft frame spool, means to select the deflectors for the yarns to be omitted from the Winding of another spool, a rotatably and reciprocably mounted lifter having means located at predetermined intervals respectively to engagea deflector and means 0perable to reciprocate and to rotate said lifter to actuate said deflectors in a predetermined sequence to displace the yarns engaged thereby from their normal position, severing mechanism removably positioned in co-operative relation to the displaced yarns, and means for actuating said severing mechanism.

19. A setting frame for tuft yarns comprising reciprocable yarn deflectors for the respective yarns supplied from yarn carriers and wound upon a tuft framespool, means to select thexdeflectors forthe yarns to be omitted from the Winding of another spool, a rotatably and reciprocably mounted lifter having means located at predetermined intervals respectively to engage a deflector and means operable to reciprocate and to rotate said lifter to actuate said deflectors in a predetermined sequence to displace the yarns engaged thereby fromtheir normal position, severing mechanism including acutter bar and guide therefor removably mounted in co-operativerelation to the displaced yarns, means for moving said cutter bar and guide in synchronism With the reciprocating movement of saidlifter, means for actuating said cutter to sever the selected yarns in said predetermined sequence, and means imposing a tension upon the yarns operable to restore the severed yarns'to the respective yarn carriers.

20. A setting frame for tuft yarns supplied from yarn carriers to a tuft frame spool comprising means for deflecting the yarns to be omitted from the Winding of another spool, a cutter operable to sever the deflected yarns, means for actuating said cutter, and means permitting the removal of the cutter to facilitate replacement of the omitted yarns.

21. A setting frame for tuft yarns comprising a yarn supply having a plurality of yarn carriers for yarns extending to and Wound upon a tuft frame spool, means operable to maintain a tension upon said yarns and upon severance of selected yarns to Wind back the same upon their respective yarn carriers.

- 22. A setting frame for tuft yarns comprising a yarn supply having a plurality of yarn carriers, means I for selecting from yarns drawn from said yarn carriers and Wound upon a tuft frame spool such yarns as are to be omitted from the Winding of another tuft frame spool to permit the selected yarns to be severed, and; rotatable means operable upon the severance of said yarns to restore the severedyarns to the respective yarn carriers.

23. A setting frame for tuft yarns comprising a yarn supply ha'ving a plurality of yarn carrier supports, yarn carriers for yarns extending to a tuft frame spool mounted upon and frictionally engaging said yarn carrier supports, means for rotating said yarn carrier supports in a direction to main-.

tain tension upon the yarns and to Wind back severed yarns upon their respective yarn carriers. a

24;. A setting frame for tuft yarns comprising means for rotatably supporting yarn carriers from which yarns are supplied to a tuft frame spool, means for rotating the respective yarn carriers in a direction to maintain a tension upon the'yarns and to Wind back severed yarns upon their respective yarn carriers, and means for preventing the severed yarns from becoming entangled with the yarn carrier supporting means.

25. A setting frame for tuft yarns comprising a yarn supply having a plurality of yarn carriers, means for selecting from yarns drawn from said carriers and wound upon a tuft frame spool such yarns as are to be omitted from the winding of another tuft frame spool to permit the selected yarns to be severed, rotatable means operable upon the severance of said yarns to restore the same to their respective yarn carriers, and means for severing the selected yarns in such predetermined sequence as will minimize the winding back of closely adjacent yarns when severed.

26. A setting frame for tuft yarns comprising a yarn supply having a plurality of yarn carrier supports, yarn carriers for yarns extending to a tuft frame spool mounted upon and frictionally engaging said yarn carrier supports, means for rotating said yarn carrier supports in a direction to maintain tension upon the yarns and to wind back severed yarns upon their respective yarn carriers, means respectively operable to select such yarns as are to be omitted from the winding of another tuft frame spool and to sever the selected yarns in such predetermined sequence as will minimize the winding back of closely adjacent yarns when severed.

27. A creel bank for a winding machine comprising a plurality of supports for yarn carriers normally permitting withdrawal of the yarns therefrom by the winding mechanism and means for restoring to said yarn carriers the free ends of yarns depending therefrom.

28. A creel bank for a winding machine comprising a series of spool-receiving stations and means associated with each station operable to rotate the yarn station located thereat in a direction to wind back a free end of yarn depending from the spool.

29. A creel bank for a winding machine comprising a series of spool-receiving stations normally permitting free rotation of the spools, whereby yarns may be fed to the winding mechanism, and means for effecting reverse rotation of the spools to Wind back free ends of yarns depending from the spools.

30. A creel bank for a winding machine comprising a series of spool-receiving stations having rotatable spool supports adapted frictionally to engage the heads of said spools and normally permitting rotation of said spools relatively to said spool supports to permit yarns to be fed to the winding mechanism, and means for rotating said spool supports in a reverse direction to wind back the free ends of yarns depending from said spools.

31. The combination of a tuft yarn setting frame having yarn strand indicating mechanism with pattern-controlled means cooperating therewith for selecting from yarn strands drawn from yarn carriers and wound upon a tuft frame spool such yarns as are to be omitted from the winding of the next tuft frame spool. 32. The combination of a tuft yarn setting frame iaving jacquard-controlled, yarn strand indicating mechanism with a register for the jacquard mechanism arranged to actuate said mechanism to select from a sheet of yarns wound upon a tuft frame spool certain yarns which are to be omitted from the next spool to be wound.

33. The method of scheduling the punching of-the rows of holes in a jacquard strip of a jacquard-controlled setting frame so as to minimize the number of punched holes in the strip and correspondingly minimize the number of yarn changes required to produce a pattern fabric which consists in punching consecutive rows of holes in the jacquard strip to correspond to an arbitrarily re-arranged grouping of the rows of the pattern based on the least number of yarn changes between consecutive rows in the re-arranged group.

34. The method of operating a acquardcontrolled tuft yarn setting frame which consists in employing a jacquard register to indicate the location of yarns to be removed after each set-up and selecting replacement yarns by the aid of a previously prepared tabulated list whereby study of the design by the setting frame operative is eliminated.

35. The method of operating a j acquardcontrolled setting frame which consists in automatically severing and winding back without attention from the operative those yarns which are to be replaced for the following set-up and meanwhile selecting replacement yarns from storage bins by the aid of a tabulated list whereby a marked saving in time for each set-up is efiected.

36. In a tuft yarn setting frame constructed and arranged to wind a ribbon of yarns upon a tuft frame spool, means to select one or more strands from the ribbon of yarns and means to sever the strand or strands selected.

37. In a tuft yarn setting frame constructed and arranged to wind a ribbonof yarn strands upon a tuft frame spool means to sever nonadjacent yarns in a pre-determined sequence.

38. A setting frame for tuft yarns supplied from yarn carriers to a tuft frame spool comprising means to hold in position to be severed such yarns as are to be omitted from the winding of another tuft frame spool and means to restore several yarns to their re spective yarn carriers.

39. In a tuftyarn setting frame arranged to draw yarns from a plurality of yarn carriers arranged in longitudinal rows and wind said yarns upon a tuft frame spool, yarn severing mechanism and means for restoring severed yarns to their respective yarn carriers, said severing mechanism being arranged to sever corresponding, non-adjacent yarns in each longitudinal row whereby two or more yarns in each row may be in the process of being restored to their carriers simultaneously, the severing mechanism and the restoring means being timed so that the severed end a, moving yarn is timed to pass the yarn carrier of the next yarn to be severed prior to the severing of that yarn whereby the elapsed time of restoring the yarns is minimized and danger of entangling moving yarns is eliminated. r In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES C; ALVORD.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,877,783. September 20, 1932.

CHARLES C. ALVORD.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 11, line 123, claim 38, for the word "several" read severed; and that the'said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 29th day of November, A. D. 1932.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

